A MOTHER who sparked a massive search for her "missing" son today admitted killing the three-year-old boy.

Hundreds of volunteers joined police and other emergency service personnel in the vain search for Mikaeel Kular in Edinburgh in January this year.

But the boy's body had been put in a suitcase and hidden at woodland behind a house in 25 miles away Fife after he was severely beaten by his mother Rosdeep Kular, 34.

Kular, who appeared under her married name Adekoya, was originally accused of murdering the youngster at the family home in Ferry Gait Crerscent, in Edinburgh.

But after the Crown amended the charge to the lesser offence of culpable homicide she pleaded guilty to killing him at the High Court in Edinburgh today.

Kular admitted assaulting and killing Mikaeel at the family's flat in Ferry Gait Crescent and hiding his body in woodland.

She also pleaded guilty to attempting to defeat the ends of justice by pretending to police he had gone missing, sparking the search by the emergency services and members of the public.

Kular admitted repeatedly punching her son and causing his body to hit against a hard object or inflicting blunt injuries on his head and body between January 12 and 15.

She admitted wrapping Mikaeel's body in a duvet cover, putting it in a suitcase and driving to Dunvegan Avenue in Kirkcaldy, Fife, where she hid the case under a bush in woods behind a house.

She had called 999 to report her son missing to police, telling officers he got out of bed and climbed on a stool to unlock the front door of his home.

Mikaeel suffered injuries to his head and body [PA]

A major search was launched for her son, involving police, the fire service, coastguard, mountain rescue crews and members of the public.

Advocate depute Alex Prentice told the court: "The basis for the plea tendered being accepted is that the Crown accepts that the accused had no intention to kill Mikaeel and that the assault perpetrated upon him, although severe, fell short if the wicked recklessness required for murder."

Adekoya's internet history showed searches including "I find it hard to love my son", "I love all of my children except one", "Why am I so aggressive with my son" and "Get rid of bruises".

The court heard that Mikaeel died on the night of Tuesday January 14 from injuries inflicted the previous Sunday.

His mother "lost her temper" when he was repeatedly sick following a trip to a Nando's restaurant at the city's Fountain Park.

She smacked him and struck him on the body and head with a clenched fist, the court heard.

When Mikaeel was sick for a third time, she dragged him to the shower by his arms and "beat him heavily" on his back as he lay over the bath edge.

Over the next few days Mikaeel's condition worsened and he was kept off nursery. He was assaulted again on the Monday after being sick and became "listless".

His body was found on the floor by his mother the next morning.

Kular will be sentenced in August [PA]

Adekoya dabbed her eyes repeatedly with tissues as the narrative of her crimes was read to the court.

Officers who attended the flat reported that she initially appeared "very upset and distressed".

But inconsistencies began to appear in her account of events to police, who by the Friday evening "suspected that all was not as she had indicated".

During a police interview she broke down and told officers: "It was an accident and I panicked. I am going to go to the jail."

She was asked where Mikaeel was and replied: "In the woods behind my sister's house."

Adekoya then took police to her son's body in the woods, telling them he was "to the left under trees in a suitcase" which she had covered with branches.

Mr Prentice said: "Detective Sergeant Phil Richards undid the straps of the suitcase and opened the camouflage material within which was the body of Mikaeel Kular, who was quite clearly dead."

The final cause of death was found to be "blunt force abdominal trauma".

Mikaeel had more than 40 separate injuries to his body, including bruises to his back, chin and cheek, trauma to the brain, haemorrhage in the spinal cord and injuries to his arms.

Mr Prentice said: "If medical assistance had been called for death might not have resulted."